COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Mount St. Mary's playing in NEC championship game

And then there were two. LIU Brooklyn is making a return trip to the Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament championship game, and Mount St. Mary’s hopes to get in the way of the Blackbirds’ second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament by finishing off an improbable run at a conference title.

ON ONE HAND. This will be the Mount’s fifth appearance in the NEC championship game, and the school’s third over the past six years.

THE LAST TIME. Mount St. Mary’s is 3-1 all-time in the championship game and last won the title in 2008. The Mountaineers also won in 1995 and 1999, and lost in 2009.

MAKING HISTORY. The Mount is looking to become the first team in NEC history to win the NEC Tournament as the fifth seed. Also, no team in NEC history has won three straight road games to win the title. The Mount is already the lowest seed (sixth in 1999) and second-lowest seed (fourth in 2000) to win the tournament.

SPEAKING. “They get great crowds when they’re at home. They have a great fan base. It’s going to be an electric environment. We’ve played in that kind of environment before.”

— Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jamion Christian

And then there were two.

LIU Brooklyn is making a return trip to the Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament championship game, and Mount St. Mary’s hopes to get in the way of the Blackbirds’ second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament by finishing off an improbable run at a conference title.

The two teams square off for the third time this season at Wellness Center in Brooklyn tonight at 7. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Mount St. Mary’s (18-13) returns to the finals for the first time since 2010 when the Mountaineers lost to Robert Morris, 48-46.

In their most recent meeting, the Mount’s Rashad Whack — the team’s leading scorer with 14 points a game — scored 26 points in an 83-71 win at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Md. on Feb. 21.

LIU Brooklyn (19-13) beat Mount St. Mary’s, 86-72 on Jan. 12 at Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

Mount St. Mary’s head coach said the journey to the NEC championship game actually began with a one-on-one, heart-to-heart talk with senior Raven Barber.

“He’s the guy who started it all when he came to my office and said, ‘Coach, what can I do to help us in the NEC Tournament,” Christian said. “Raven Barber is going to really play well.”

Indeed, Barber was key in the win on Feb. 21 against the Blackbirds, scoring all eight points and grabbing all six of his rebounds in the second half in a come-from-behind victory.

The Mountaineers, which have been regulars in the NEC Tournament since making the move to NCAA Division I in 1988-89, finished the regular season on a seven-game win streak. They extended the string to nine with wins against Bryant and top-seed Robert Morris in the NEC Tournament. The Mount is now 5-6 all-time in NEC semifinal games.

“It’s an incredible group,” Christian said of his team. “We don’t have any all-league players. We’re just doing it together as a group, trusting one another. It’s incredible what a team can do when no one cares who gets the credit. We’re trying to find a way to help our team win.”

Mount St. Mary’s has thrived on its four-guard lineup with Shivaughn Wiggins, Julian Norfleet, Sam Prescott and Whack. Forward Raven Barber has been a staple on the boards and will once again be counted on against a very physical LIU team.

“We’re going to have to get back in transition and run a good offense,” Christian said. “They can score so well. If you take bad shots and turn the ball over, it’s virtually two points for them. We have to be disciplined, rebound the ball well and finish.”

Page 2 of 2 - Whack also led the Mount with 26 points against Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers shot 44.7 perent i the game and was 8 of 17 from three-point range.

Mount St. Mary’s scored its lowest point total since Feb. 6 (a 74-65 loss at Wagner). The Mount also gave up its lowest point total since a 68-58 win at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 9.

The Mountaineers are 8-11 away from home this year but have won their last five road games, including four in a row.

The Blackbirds were knocked out of first place in the conference after losing to the Mount and then lost to Wagner before winning their final two regular season games to sew up the third seed in the tournament.

LIU Brooklyn eliminated No. 2 Wagner on Saturday, 94-82.

The Mount climbed from eighth to fifth in the conference over the final two weeks of the season. The team’s win over Bryant served as a springboard, followed by a pivotal victory over the Blackbirds the next week.

“I knew somewhere at some point our team would be believing in one another,” Christian said. “I really trust our guys. So many can shoot from the outside and they share the ball with other guys. We have four or five different guys who can score.”